EJ Spy School. Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781921931987
Recommended for readers from 6-8. Susannah McFarlane's series EJ
Spy School is a wonderful introduction to chapter books for
younger readers. They show a young Emma Jacks training to be a SHINE
agent. Speed is the key to this adventure, the SHINE spy school is
testing her skills and abilities, there are mazes for her to solve,
tests to pass, all timed by the agency.
Every Emma Jacks' adventures begin with a message on her special spy
watch, then she rushes off to the girls' toilets at school. In the
last cubicle on the right, connects her watch to a special button
under the toilet roll holder and is whooshed down the tunnel to the
spy school. She learns how to ride a special scooter and reach the
pet shop just before a Shadow agent appears. Emma learns the meaning
of the phrases - get your skates on and just in time!
This enjoyable series helps build confidence in the young reader
with age-appropriate words, interesting themes, short sentences and
chapters.
Suitable for beginner and newly confident chapter book readers.
Rhyllis Bignell
The case of the really, really scary things by Michael Gerard Bauer
Secret Agent Derek 'Danger' Dale bk 2. Ill. by Joe Bauer. Omnibus,
2015. ISBN 9781742990668
Recommended for readers from 8-10 years. Secret Agent Derek 'Danger'
Dale returns in another action-packed adventure. His task is to
outwit Dr McEvilness and the dastardly villains at Exclusively Evil
and stop them wreaking havoc with their fear inducing machine - the
FANGLE. Secret Agent Derek 'Danger' Dale is an over-the-top comic
spy with his strong physique, surfboard style hairdo, exaggerated
facial features and of course - buff body, he's always shirtless.
Derek's vacation at the Sun Seekers Resort is interrupted by the
Head of Secret Agents R Definitely NOT Us, after only twenty-seven
minutes as he's needed back at Headquarters. Before he leaves, Derek
uses his amazing skills and initiative to rescue a bunch of young
swimmers from the clutches of an escaped Giant Squid, using only a
lane rope, sunscreen, dead fish and a giant bucket of ice cream.
Back home, his mission is to find out who has stolen an ancient
Agorian statuette from the museum. The guards' conflicting reports
state that the thief was either an eight-metre tall giant cockroach
or an ugly, slimy toad. Derek's unique super spy skills are needed
to save the day.
This new Secret Agent Derek 'Danger' Dale story is filled with
crazy-named humorous characters, funny puns, diabolical plots,
unexpected situations and action-a plenty. Gerard Michael Bauer's
amusing story is uniquely paired with his son Joe's cartoon strips
running vertically on each page.
Rhyllis Bignell
1915 by Sally Murphy
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743622483
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. War, World War One, Gallipoli, CEW
Bean, Series: Australia's Great War. The second in the series, Australia's
Great War presents the reader with Stan, a young teacher from
rural Western Australia at Gallipoli in 1915. His battalion lands on
that shore ready to take the fortifications and march to
Constantinople, but the Turkish Army lies in wait. Through his eyes,
and those of his sister who writes to him, his diary entries, poems
and his letters back home, we see the gravity of the situation they
find themselves in. Each of his friends is drawn carefully ensuring
the readers bond with the people involved and care about their
stories. CJ, Bluey, Miles, then Art and Molly, all contribute to the
tale of the months spent at Gallipoli, and will increase the
readers' knowledge about that place.
Murphy's detailed background, the trenches, the Turkish army,
Simpson and his donkey, the wounded and the dead, even Keith
Murdoch, gives an authenticity to the tale which will encourage
students to continue reading.
Through his sister's letters, we are shown life back in Australia,
as a neighbour's son is taken to Rottnest Island to be interred
because he has a German name, or some of the boys in the town, even
sixteen year olds receiving white feathers, or the knitting circles,
as well as the constant discussion surrounding the casualty lists in
the newspapers. At first these lists are small, but as the campaign
continues they become longer to the dismay of those back home and
the realisation both to Stan and his sister of the misinformation
given.
Stan is hit by shrapnel and does nothing about it because so many
others have wounds that are more significant, but in doing this he
becomes quite ill. His friend, CJ takes him to the beach for help,
but shrapnel hits them both, killing CJ. In hospital in Cairo he
meets nurse Molly, and so another part of the story develops.
The novel covers some familiar territory but in having Stan as the
narrator, Murphy has introduced a character with whom students can
engage. He is innocent enough to have discussions which will
interest those who read this book, and his observations will make
them think about the priorities of war. Several incidents stand out
for me. One is when Miles is killed, trying to help a wounded
Turkish soldier, and the other when a truce is declared to bury the
dead. Both make the readers aware of the conflicted nature of being
in war, and the random encounters with CEW Bean are a neat
touch, grounding the story in the reality of a journalist's
observations, one whom students can research further. And Bean's
observations, given from a wider perspective than Stan's, make Stan
rethink some of the things he holds dear.
This is an eminently readable contribution to the array of books
being published at the moment to acquaint our younger readers with
Australia's involvement in World War One, and it has an underlying
theme of the nature of war and its effects on everyone that will
encourage students to reflect further.
Fran Knight
Once upon an alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN 9780007514274
(Age: Pre-school - Yr 6) 'If words make up stories and letters make
up words, then stories are made up of letters. In this menagerie we
have stories, made of words, made for all the letters.' And that's
just what this fabulous book by Oliver Jeffers is all about. He has
taken the concept of a picture book and viewed it through a new
lens. Instead of the traditional 26 letters accompanied by pictures
of words starting with the letter, there are 26 stories, one for
each letter of the alphabet - each short, succinct, imaginative and
complete. Here's an example. 'Bernard and Bob lived on either side
of a bridge and for years had been battling each other for reasons
neither could remember. One day Bob decided to fix things so Bernard
couldn't bother him anymore, by burning the bridge between them. But
Bob learned an important lesson that day. He needed the bridge to
get back.' Characters like Owl and Octopus appear and reappear
throughout the stories adding continuity especially as Z returns us
to Edward the astronaut's problem of the first page! The
cartoon-like illustrations that are Jeffers' trademark are more
about illustrating the story than emphasising the sound of the
letter, another departure from the more traditional format of an
alphabet book and the whole has a wonderful mix of humour and
quirkiness that it will appeal to all ages. This is so much more
than an alphabet book to entertain littlies, although it does that
very well. There is the opportunity to introduce the concept of
alliteration - Danger Delilah is a daredevil who laughs in the face
of Death and dances at the door of Disaster - and explore how it can
be used to add meaning and depth to a story. Students could also be
challenged to create similar short stories - telling a tale in two
or three sentences that still contain a traditional story structure.
(There's a website
devoted to this concept - but select what's appropriate for your
students; and for those who subscribe to the NSW School Magazine
Touchdown, the March 2013 issue contained a how-to.) Every time I
dip into this book I find more to delight me - adults and children
alike will love this one.
Barbara Braxton
Save Rafe by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
Laura Park. Young Arrow, 2014. ISBN 9780099596424
(Age: Yr 4+) It is literally the stuff of nightmares. Rafe
Katchadorian thought he would be going to Airbrook Arts School when
the new school year starts but over the summer vacation it has
closed down and he has to return to Hills Village Middle School -
from where he has already been expelled. Even worse, Vice Principal
Stricker has been promoted to principal and her sister is now the
deputy, and neither of them like Rafe. They have determined that
before he will be readmitted to HVMS he will have to succeed on The
Program, which turns out to be a week-long rugged outdoors camp in
the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
So 4.00am the next morning sees the whole family on the road to Base
Camp, arriving with just two minutes to spare and attracting the
wrath of Sergeant Fish (who is the epitome of the stereotypical
bellowing, tough sergeant-major.) Not an auspicious start. Rafe, as
well as the other seven students who have been assigned to The
Program, discover that this is no ordinary camp and they will have
to work as individuals as well as a team to overcome obstacles
designed to test their resilience, persistence and determination so
they can earn sufficient tags to maintain their place in the
program. The first obstacle is climbing a tower to get the food for
that night's supper.
This is a fast-paced book that has the reader willing Rafe on,
telling him not to quit and hoping that he can see the reasons
behind The Program as clearly. In it Rafe learns a lot about himself
although even when he is required to write a letter to himself about
what he sees his life as being a year from now he has difficulty in
articulating it in words. Drawing is his talent. But you know that
he has internalised much and when he does return to HVMS and
discovers Stricker and Stonecase have yet another hurdle for him, he
will be able to take it on with greater confidence and self-belief.
Whether writing for adults or children, James Patterson crafts a
great story drawing characters that come off the page and compel the
reader to continue reading to find out what happens to them. Like
many troubled kids, Rafe has a backstory of insecurity and
self-doubt that he masks with his troublemaker persona, a kind of
get-them-before-they-get-me attitude that comes to the fore through
his Loozer and Leo comics that he draws because he can't articulate
his feelings. He has little belief in his expectations to succeed
but this is turned around in this book as he is driven by his desire
not to disappoint his mother.
Lavishly illustrated with graphics that are an integral part of the
events and Rafe's story, this could almost be considered a graphic
novel so it will appeal to those boys who are reluctant readers.
This is the 6th in this series that has captured the imaginations of
boys in that Yr 4+ audience who are starting to be more independent,
see girls as a likeable species, and are starting to feel the
awkwardness of adolescence. It is the series to be seen reading!
Barbara Braxton
A Little Treehouse Story series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2015. Barky the Barking Dog. ISBN 9781743532980 Ten Unlucky Pirates. ISBN 9781743532973
Recommended for readers from 6-8 years. Barky the Barking Dog
originally appeared as a chapter in the Andy Griffiths and Terry
Denton's popular The 13-Storey Treehouse. In a simple to
read rhyming format for beginning readers, we follow Barky as he
barks at everything from a rose to a gorilla's big hairy toes. He
even barks at Terry and Andy and of course you! Ten Unlucky Pirates was a chapter from Andy and Terry's
bestselling The 26-Storey Treehouse. This rollicking rhyme
is loosely based on the song Five Little Monkeys. Terry Denton's
illustrations showcase his wicked sense of humour; there's a
quirkiness to each colourful pirate predicament. Each meets a
different fate - electrified by the sound equipment, attacked by the
pirate tattooing machine or bucked off Kevin the mechanical bull. Seven unlucky pirates making a rockin' pirate mix
One got a great big shock and then there were six.
This new series from the Treehouse collection are just right for the
beginning reader, a great introduction to the winning combination of
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.
Rhyllis Bignell
The adventures of Beekle the unimaginary friend by Dan Santat
Little, Brown, 2014. ISBN 9780316199988
Highly recommended for readers from 4-7 years. Caldecott Picture
Book Winner 2015. Dan Santat's award winning picture book told in
the third person, explores the world from the imaginary friends
point of view. He introduces a small creature sadly waiting on the
island of unimaginary friends, wanting 'to be picked by a
child and given a special name.' He watches as other creatures are
beamed away into the starry night sky, off to enjoy a world of
friendship and adventure.
With courage and determination, Beekle sets sail to find his real
friend. He crosses the deep green ocean in a tiny boat, encountering
a huge, colourful sea serpent and a giant whale on his journey. When
he lands in the real world, he is unhappy. His little, chubby white
body and golden crown, stand out in the gray and sepia-toned adult
spaces, the restaurant and subway train where everything is both
distant and daunting. 'No kids were eating cake. No one stopped to
hear the music.'
When all seems lost, Alice a small girl with large spectacles
appears, she's waving a hand-drawn picture of him perched high up in
a tree filled with star-shaped leaves. He truly is her imaginary
friend.
Santat's emotive use of colour stands out in this picture book . The
grey tones for the world without friends, brown and orange for the
first meeting of his real friend and rainbow hues for the island and
sea serpent. Glowing yellow circles light up the cartoon style
scenes when Alice names him Beekle. The bright hues of the
children's playground lift the narrative as Beekle searches
everywhere for his friend.
To win a Caldecott Medal a picture book needs to provide the young
reader with a uniquely visual and emotional experience that respects
their understandings and abilities. The Adventures of Beekle The
Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat is distinctive and engaging, share
this with a young child or a junior primary class.
Rhyllis Bignell
A Scarlet Novel: Lady Thief by A. C. Gaughen
Walker Books, 2014. ISBN 9780802736147
(Age: 12+) Imagine if everything Robin Hood did had been done by a
woman . . . Well this book isn't quite THAT controversial, however
it does morph both the legendary Maid Marian and Will Scarlet into
the same figure.
Set in Nottingham after Robin Hood's escape and the sheriff's
subsequent demise, the novel follows Scarlet as she returns to her
loveless marriage under the lure of an annulment, which can only be
achieved if both she and her husband petition the church.
Unfortunately, her return pairs with Prince John's arrival and not
only is she back at the mercy of Lord Gisbourne, but of Prince John
as well. The Prince was summoned to choose a replacement sheriff,
however it soon becomes apparent that that isn't his only agenda.
Will he get his way when he has Scarlet to contend with?
Although written in a dialect, the writing style appears to be
confusing. Not only is the dialect employed, but the writing is
fairly modern which clashes both with the vernacular and the setting
used.
One of the most outstanding things about his novel is it's
characterisation of Scarlet (A.K.A Marian) being a strong, yet
wilful, woman who is more than capable of making decisions for
herself and for the good of others. Presented as a nobleman's
daughter, Scarlet escaped to join Robin's merry band where she then
fell in love with the legendary Robin Hood. A good hand at knives,
Scarlet places herself in danger by loving Robin, both with the
hopeful sheriffs, with the prince himself and even with Robin. She
is a great role model for girls and for this reason I would
recommend to girls aged twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell (Age nineteen)
You wouldn't want to be in the trenches in World War One by Alex Woolf
David Antram. Book House, 2014. ISBN 9781909645226
(Age: Yr 5+) Subtitled A hole you'd rather not be in this is
an ideal introduction for younger students to World War I. The
reader is given the persona of one Tommy Atkins, an underage but
enthusiastic English lad determined to do his bit for King and
Country and then in a chatty commentary which is filled with facts
and accompanied by appealing cartoon-esque illustrations is led
through the process from joining up to training to being in the
trenches on the Western Front. Life in the trenches is exposed for
what it was - rats and lice, bully beef, bread and biscuits, cold
and wet and being under fire.
While remaining factually true the presentation is one that tells
what happened but without the gory bits, the parts that we as adults
know but kids don't have to yet. For example, Tommy is wounded at
Messines but the next part is about being back in England with
family. Scattered throughout are handy hints such as "To detect
enemy tunnelling, drive a stick into the ground and hold the other
end between teeth to feel any vibrations."
This is an ideal addition to your WWI/ANZAC collection, just right
for the reader who wants to know what happened but for whom fiction
doesn't appeal. While the guide suggests this as suitable for Yrs
5-8, a mature Yr3+ reader with an interest in the topic would handle
it well.
For an extensive list of texts to help primary students understand
ANZAC, Gallipoli and World War I you might like to check out my Pinterest
board Remembering Gallipoli I've gathered over 200 resources.
Barbara Braxton
13 words by Lemony Snicket
Maira Kalman. HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN 9780061664670
(Age: K-3) Word Number 1: bird. The bird sits on the table Word
Number 2: despondent. The bird is despondent. In fact, she is so sad
that she hops off the table to look for something to cheer her up.
And so begins this new story from Lemony Snicket (A Series of
Unfortunate Events) that continues his penchant for quirky but
thoroughly engaging stories. Bird hops off the table to explore the
cake (Word Number 3) that is in the box under it and is joined by
dog (word Number 4). Together they eat the cake and then while Bird
gets busy (Word Number 5) Dog goes off in his convertible (#6) and
meets Goat (#7) and together they look for things that might cheer
Bird up. They decide on a hat (#8) and so continues a wonderful tale
that compels the reader to make connections between words like
'haberdashery', 'panache' and 'mezzo-soprano'.
Giving life to the words are the amazing illustrations of Maira
Kalman which have been described in the Kirkus review as 'gorgeous,
Matisse-like, gelato-colored'. They force the reader to engage with
them, drawing you in to discover a range of unexpected delights that
are just as original as Snicket's storyline. It's as though Snicket
and Kalman have decided to take the iconic format of a children's
basic word book and turn it upside-down. Not only have they used
words that kids know and are common in traditional word books, but
they've also chosen some of those that they love to learn and let
roll of their tongue in delight. What kindergarten word list
contains 'panache' and 'despondent'? Add to that, instead of the
words being isolated and disconnected, they've turned them into a
story that puts them in a context that demonstrates their meaning
and makes a most appealing story.
This book works on so many levels apart from just being plain fun.
Students could make a list of the most delicious words that they
love to say; they could make their own list of thirteen words and
try to weave them into a story; they could make a chart of all the
different types of hats and classify them as sunsmart or not; and
given that Bird is still despondent at the end of the story they
could speculate on what might make her happier. It's a book that
keeps on giving and has something for each age group you share it
with.
For a sneak peek, there's a trailer at http://youtu.be/VI1HZFrijeU
Barbara Braxton
Fearless: sons and daughter by Colin Thompson
Ill. by Sarah Davis. ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733330872
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Dogs. Animal behaviour. Babies.
Fearless is a dad. Coming indoors one evening he finds Primrose with
five writhing little pups beside her. They ponder together about
where they came from, and Primrose settles into grooming them.
Fearless tries to remember what life was like when he was a pup, and
wonders what sort of dad he will be. At first the pups ignore him,
but when he explains that he is their dad they all get along well,
doing the things that dads do with their offspring. He plays with
them, models behaviour, tells them of the dangers that lurk in the
garden. The pond is a target of further explanation as sharks lurk
in there so it is a place to stay away from.
Over the weeks four of the puppies go to other homes and the
remaining puppy and Primrose thinks that they may have fallen into
the pond and so investigate. Fearless saves the day, showing the
protective nature of fathers within the family as Fearless overcomes
his fear of the water to save Primrose and Eric.
This is a delight as Sarah Davis has produced a set of pictures
which reflect the behaviour of parents towards their children,
modeling the sorts of behaviour expected, showing the sorts of
things fathers do with their babies, and they are varied, funny and
cute.
Throughout the book, the text subtly shows the family interacting,
and how the father is part of the family unit, guiding, modelling,
telling and protecting. His role is tantamount to the pup's safety
as it grows up. This is a lovely book about nurturing to share in
the classroom and at home.
Fran Knight
Celebrating Australia by Lorraine Marwood
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925081022
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Poetry, Celebration. Special days. Humour.
Marwood's latest book of poetry, subtitled 'A year in poetry',
lives up to that claim stupendously. Pared back lines dot the pages,
making her poems readily accessible to readers who love to see big
ideas distilled into few words. Australia Day is a 'waltzing good
time', Valentine's Day, full of 'heart words', Anzac Day remembered
with the heart wrenching 'Last post', while with Father's Day, the
poet says 'I am out of words that pinpoint my Dad'. Each of
Marwood's poems is short, to the point and succinct. Readers will
love her work as they give a neat picture in such few words,
encapsulating a moment that everyone will recognise and more often
smile. Included in the poems concerning traditional celebrations are
those celebrating the richness of our culture: St Patrick's Day,
Ramadan, Bastille Day, Festival of Light, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving,
Halloween and Moon Festival.
In between the poems celebrating special days in the life of
Australia, are general poems about birthdays, the arrival of a new
baby, christening, wedding and the choice of a cake for a birthday
party.
Each poem is fun to read aloud and would make a wonderful model with
which to teach in the classroom, or encourage readers to read them
out loud themselves, adding actions and costume to the readings. At
the end of the book is a list of the special days with their dates,
and a blurb about Marwood and her other books. Fran Knight
Shimmer by Paula Weston
The Rephaim bk 3. Text Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781922147974
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Gaby has started to become accustomed to the
thought that she is one of the Rephaim, a half angel and that her
brother Jude is still alive. But her world is torn apart with the
capture of Rafa and Taya, who are being kept in a horrible prison,
an iron-lined room, by Gatekeeper demons. She must get all the
Rephaim to work together to try and rescue them and that is not an
easy job.
The third in the series, Shimmer, concentrates on the
relationships within the Rephaim, and the machinations that occur
between gaby and her close confederates, those loyal to the
Sanctuary and the Outcasts. There is a handy Who's who at the front
of the book as a reminder of the characters and Gaby recounts what
has happened in earlier books at the beginning of Shimmer, all of
which is helpful when books only come out once a year. The reader
begins to get to know all the characters in depth and Weston keeps
the tension taut as Gaby does her best to get the Rephaim to unite
and go to Rafa's rescue. There are some surprise moments that shock
and leave the reader wondering just who is loyal and who is
betraying the half angels.
Gaby's leadership skills are beginning to develop and it is
interesting to see her operate through the anxiety about Rafa, with
determination and strength. She seems to be combining both her
skills as a half angel and the skills that she learnt when she
thought she was just human and this makes for a fascinating read.
Weston's tight prose and great character building, as well as her
creation of a fascinating world, make this a very readable book and
the cliff-hanger at the end means that the last in the series will
have to be read. This series is a worthwhile read for fantasy
lovers, especially those who like some half angels involved.
Pat Pledger
Ever After High: Once Upon a Time: A Story Collection by Shannon Hale
Little Brown, 2014. ISBN 9780349132020
(Age: 10+) Recommended. This is a collection of 12 short stories
that turn traditional fairy tale characters on their heads. At Ever
After High, the students are beginning their Legacy Year, the time
when they will sign the Storybook of Legends and pledge that they
will repeat the stories that their parents have become famous for.
People who love fairy stories will be charmed with this collection
that is both quirky and very funny. My favourites were the stories
of Dexter and Darling Charming, Dexter Charming and the yellow-eyed
changeling and Darling Charming and the razor eel. Their adventures
and antics in the home of their father Prince Charming were very
amusing, but also poignant as Darling wished she didn't have to
pretend to be just a beautiful maiden, while Dexter often stands out
in his family as he is not as brave or as daring as his brothers.
Maddie Hatter, the daughter of the Madhatter, works in a tea shop
with her father and her story is fascinating as well. There are also
fun stories about Apple White, Lizzie Hearts, Raven Queen, Briar
Beauty, Ashlynn Ella and Hunter Huntsman.
Underlying them all are themes of accepting yourself and your
strengths and weaknesses, even if like Cedar Wood, you are made of
wood; of standing up to bullies and of cherishing friendships.
These stories made me smile and feel good and could prove to be an
interesting and challenging read for young girls especially.
Pat Pledger
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb
In Death bk40. Piatkus, 2015. ISBN 9780349403656
(Age: Adult) Mystery. Romance. Eve and Roarke are back in the 40th
book of the series. In Death showcases what it would be like
to be a celebrity and to have a killer focus all their attention on
you. Eve is used to the media attention especially after a video had
been made of her exploits but it is very upsetting to find a message
'FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING'
painted behind a murdered barrister. Her admirer is convinced that
they have a special bond and that Eve would approve of this and
subsequent murders that take place.
I found the expose of a stalker/vigilante murderer to be quite
interesting. This was not so much a mystery where the reader had to
uncover clues and try and work out who the killer was, rather the
emphasis was on the psychology of the murderer. Of course, Eve, with
the help of Peabody, the cop team and Roarke, using smart team work
and intelligence, do discover just who is killing off people who may
have annoyed Eve, or indeed trying to kill people close to her.
I didn't find this as fast paced or as clever with the dialogue as
some of the others in the series, but it is still a good solid read
that fans will enjoy. It fleshes out the characters and background
well enough for a stand-alone read as well, which is good when there
are so many in the series!
Pat Pledger
